Throwback Thursdays - Governor Peay
If you live in Clarksville, TN you are very familiar with the name Austin Peay. There is a state university in town with that and students come from all over the world to study at this Liberal Arts school. The mascot is called a Governor and the fans are proud to be called Governors or Peay Nuts. Now when the name is used people are referring to the university not the man that it was named for.
Austin Peay lived in Clarksville and practiced law here. He became famous when he entered politics and ran for Governor and won 3 times. Back in the 1920's the terms were only two years each. Nashville being only 40 miles southeast of Clarksville made it easy to stay in touch with Clarksville and keep his roots here.
Many big inroads were made while he was Governor. If you have been to the Great Smokey Mountains then you have visited a park that was nationalized during Austin Peay's term. He is recognized as our most famous Governor of the State of Tennessee.
Many of his descedants stayed in Clarksville and his name has carried on. I have met two Austin Peays, one a local businessman and his son, a local attorney. Neither of these men followed their ancestor into state government.
Throwback Thursdays - Governor Peay
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